In the Blink of an Eye
by Ciara in cotton socks
Summary: Emily, Troy and Chad were best friends, until Emily moved away aged 12. Since then,things have changed in Albuquerque. But Gabriella has left East High to graduate a year early and Troy has fallen apart.Now Emily is back, and just when Troy needs her most
1. Chapter 1

In the Blink of an Eye

**In the Blink of an Eye**

**Chapter One**

Emily Ryan took a deep steadying breath, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. A pretty 17-year-old met her gaze, with waves of honey-blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and a Californian tan. This girl was a thousand miles from the pasty preteen who had left Albuquerque five years ago. She sighed; it was unbelievable. She had never thought she would be back here, in her childhood home. She hoped everybody else would be as pleased as she was about her return. With a last glance in the mirror she smoothed the fabric of her vintage floral-print dress, grabbed her cardigan and bag and headed downstairs.

Her mom, Jenna, had made pancakes for breakfast in honour of the occasion, topped with blueberries just the way she liked. Most people she knew preferred maple syrup, but Emily was a natural sugar girl at heart. She tucked in gratefully; she always ate when she was nervous. As she downed the last of her orange juice she noticed her mom's eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh come on Mom, I'll be fine. I'll be too busy catching up with everybody to worry about anything else!"

With that, she grabbed an apple from the new fruit bowl on the table and the two of them headed out to the gleaming silver jeep parked in the drive. Emily may have mocked her mom, but when the time came to get out of the car she was a little teary-eyed herself. Praying that she didn't look a complete mess she waved Mom off, half-wishing she was still in the car with her.

The space in front of East High School was alive with energy. Everywhere she looked Emily saw students dancing and running about, chatting enthusiastically. Nobody in the gathering crowd seemed to have a second to spare to look at the blonde girl in the flowery dress and flip-flops standing frozen in their midst.

"Heads up!"

The shout came from somewhere to her left. To spin and catch the ball high above her head came as naturally to Emily as it had years ago in the backyard with her friends. Her fingers stung a little on impact but at least her bag stayed put at her shoulder and her cardigan didn't fall from its position, wrapped snugly around her waist. In fact, she heard a couple of appreciative whoops, and even a smattering of applause. She held the ball in her hands, smiling slightly as she waited for the owner to come to retrieve it.

"Nice catch", said a familiar voice.

Emily looked up, and promptly dropped the ball with a scream of shock.

"CHAD!" she screeched, flinging her arms around him. "Oh my gosh, I wondered when I'd see you again!" She hugged him tight until he pulled away slightly.

Chad had stretched out completely since she'd last seen him, but other than that he was still the same boy she had pitched countless balls to at the baseball diamond each summer: crazy afro, warm grin, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Emily Ryan….. is it really you? Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to surprise everyone. Plus, I didn't want anyone to have a chance to rehearse a fake welcome if they didn't mean it. Lucky for you, you passed! By the way, where's Troy?"

Emily had always had keen observational skills, so although it might have gone unnoticed by anybody else she caught the tiny falter in Chad's grin.

"Um, I don't think he's in yet….. He'll be really glad to see you though, Em. You're exactly what he needs right now."


	2. Chapter 2

In the Blink of an Eye

**In the Blink of an Eye**

**Chapter Two**

Emily hadn't realised how much she missed her old life in Albuquerque until she spent some time with Chad again. She had missed his happy joking, his energetic manner, everything about him. She was worried earlier about not fitting in, about losing her place in the group. But just the first few minutes back with one of her best childhood friends convinced her that this wasn't going to be a problem. It seemed that she'd been missed s much as she had missed everyone else.

As Chad walked her to homeroom he filled her in on everything she'd missed while she'd been away. The group which had once been a trio had expanded considerably in her absence.

"Taylor McKessie? Aw, I bet you two make a sweet couple!"

"Shut up", Chad smirked, flushing a spectacular shade of red. "And whatever you do, _don't_ mention Gabriella in front of Troy. He's really cut up about her."

The grin slid off Emily's face in an instant. "I have to see him soon. It sounds like he's really hurting."

At this point they had reached their homeroom. The teacher, a bizarre but fascinating woman named Ms. Darbus, forced her to reintroduce herself to the class. She rose unsteadily to her feet, swinging her hair into two caramel-coloured curtains around her face to avoid making eye contact with anyone. This was soooo embarrassing…

"Uh….. I'm sure most of you remember me. If not, I'm Emily Ryan. I used to live here in Albuquerque, but I moved to California a couple of years ago. And now I'm back. That's about it." She sat down abruptly and there was a stunned pause before a smattering of applause filtered through her astounded audience.

"Thank you, Miss Ryan, for that _brief_ introduction and may I be the first to welcome you to our school. Now, to everybody else welcome back to East High. A new school year. Your last here at East High. So put it to good use! Yearbook editor Taylor McKessie would like me to remind you that a full list of yearbook requirements and deadlines are available in the English department, and Drama Club president Sharpay Evans asks that you all sign up for the Winter Musicale as soon as possible as auditions will commence in a couple of weeks. In other news", she sighed and adjusted her glasses. "I'm sure most of you are aware that a certain classmate of yours is not with us this year. Gabriella Montez has graduated a year early, and while we are extremely proud of this feat it is with great regret that I inform you all that she will not be rejoining us this semester."

There was a subdued silence, and Emily realised that many heads had turned almost reflexively toward the back corner of the room, to a seat beside the window. A figure sat there, head bent, scribbling furiously in a spiral-bound notebook. It was a boy, sprawled lethargically in his seat as though holding himself upright was simply too much of an effort. He didn't bother looking up, even though he could surely feel all the eyes trained on him; his sole focus was on the notebook in front of him.

The bell rang and finally the guy looked up, albeit unwillingly. With a lurch of her stomach, Emily realised that it was Troy.

It _was_ Troy, and yet somehow he wasn't the same as she remembered. He had dark shadows beneath his eyes, as though he hadn't been sleeping, and his skin was palest white. Some of the light was gone from his piercing blue gaze and he looked utterly miserable.

_Wow_, Emily thought. _This Gabriella girl must have been something truly spectacular._


	3. Chapter 3

In the Blink of an Eye

**In the Blink of an Eye**

**Chapter Three**

**Note: this chapter is a flashback (so no, you are not missing anything if you're wondering what is going on…)**

_12-year-old Emily Ryan heard the yell before she saw anything._

_Instinctively, she dashed towards the basketball court, plaits flying behind her. A group of guys, all with the build of sumo wrestlers, were circling two smaller figures, pushing and taunting them until they fell to the ground. A couple of them were smoking, and most of them were drinking from beer bottles. Emily felt sick at the sight of them._

"_Hey!" she yelled out, stamping her foot like they do in the movies. "Leave my friends alone!"_

_As one, the group rounded on her, leering wickedly. She glared up at them, her jaw jutting out and her stance defensive. The biggest one chuckled, smirking down at her with an evil grin on his face; he knew he held all the cards here._

_Then, in the blink of an eye, Emily's leg flashed out and suddenly the buffoon was lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, clutching his extremities. She glared up at the rest of his moronic gang, daring them with her eyes to say something._

"_See that cop over there, by the sandbox? He's a close family friend. Hi Charlie!" she called, smiling broadly as he waved in recognition. "See? So if you want to continue picking on innocent kids because you're too afraid of taking on anyone your own size, feel free. I'm sure I can convince Charlie to put in a good word for you down at the precinct, get you a cell with a view."_

_They scattered in an instant, leaving only the shattered remains of their bottles as proof that they had been there. Emily watched them go with intense satisfaction._

_The look on Chad and Troy's faces was priceless, a mixture of shock, embarrassment and admiration. Emily tossed her plaits over her shoulders and helped the boys to their feet. "Thanks", Chad mumbled, clearly of the opinion that his masculinity had been threatened by his need to be rescued by a girl, even if said girl was his best friend._

"_Where did you learn to do _that?" _Troy was much more enthusiastic._

"_Self-defence classes. Sometimes Mom's over-protectiveness can come in handy I guess. Hey- you've cut yourself!"_

"_It's nothing", Troy shrugged, even though he was clearly wincing in pain. Emily bent to examine the damage to his mangled knee through the rip in his jeans. A long bloody cut was visible, speckled with dirt and what could be slivers of glass._

"_This needs cleaning, you could get an infection in it. How would you like that, huh? No basketball for weeks…. A pretty bad punishment for _nothing_…"_

"_Shut up and quit fussing. You sound like my mom." Troy pulled a face._

"_Not a mom", she corrected. "A best friend. Come here." She put his arm around her shoulders and Chad did the same. Between the two of them they managed to haul a protesting Troy home, where Emily began to inspect and clean the wound._

"_Thank you", Troy murmured, his face contorted in pain as Emily and his mom fished all the bits of grime from his cut._

"_No problem. Isn't that what best friends do, clean up each others' messes?"_

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Emily awoke from her memories with a start. She realised that, as his best friend, she would soon be cleaning up another of Troy's messes. And this one wouldn't be as simple as bandaging a cut…..


	4. Chapter 4

In the Blink of an Eye

**In the Blink of an Eye**

**Chapter Four**

That day after school, Mom decided to go over to the Boltons' for a chat and a catch-up; she and Mrs. Bolton had always been close. Emily decided to go along too, even though Chad had told her that there was basketball practice tonight and she knew Troy wouldn't be home. She hoped she might catch him before she had to leave. She was worried.

The Boltons were a lovely family; Mrs. B had always been like a second mom to Emily growing up, and Mr. B was always warm and encouraging, even inviting her to play with the boys' basketball team to nurture her talent. Emily had really missed them.

"Jenna!" Mrs. Bolton screeched as she opened the door, grabbing Mom in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, I can't believe you're home. Come in, come in."

She ushered them into the kitchen, bustling about making coffee and putting cookies on a platter, making small talk with Mom as she went. They sat down at the table, sipping the hot beverages gratefully.

"So, how are things here? How's Jack? And Troy?" Mom asked over the rim of her coffee mug.

"Oh, Jack's great. He loves coaching the Wildcats. Of course, it helps that he's as big a kid as the boys!" She gave a short laugh, but then her face fell into a troubled frown. "As for Troy, well to be honest I'm really worried about him Jenna. He just spends so much time in his room, he doesn't eat, he's missing Gabriella so much… He's even quit basketball."

The words hit Emily like a steam train. Any ideas she'd had about Troy being a little upset were replaced in an instant by the undeniable truth that there was something really wrong. "Mrs. Bolton", she said tentatively, her voice barely more than a whisper. "If Troy's not at practice, is he in his room? I mean, could I maybe go up to see him? I didn't get a chance to talk to him at school today…."

"Of course, sweetie, go on up. Maybe it'll do him some good to see you, make him happy again. It's still the same bedroom, at the end of the corridor, OK?"

Emily nodded once and trotted up the stairs, a tremor of apprehension in her stomach. She knocked softly on the wood of the bedroom door. No answer. She knocked again, then opened the door and ventured in.

Troy was in there, sprawled on the bed. He made no movement to indicate that he noticed her. Emily would have thought he was asleep, had she not been able to see his bright blue eyes gazing vacantly at the ceiling.

"H-hi Troy." She wished she didn't sound quite so nervous.

"Hey." His voice was a flat monotone. "Welcome back."

Emily sighed and flopped down on the bed beside him. "Alright, I've had enough of your moodiness. Spill."

**Author's note: Next chapter- Troy finally speaks up. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

In the Blink of an Eye

**In the Blink of an Eye**

**Chapter Five**

Troy struggled upright, leaning against the basketball-print headboard. He heaved out a shuddering sigh and looked her in the eye, his expression unreadable. "You've been talking to Chad." It wasn't a question.

"He… told me you were feeling down. Not that I wouldn't have noticed anyway. I was away for five years but that doesn't mean I forgot about you. You and Chad are my best friends in the entire world. Of course I can tell if there's something up. And I wish you would let me in because I'm worried about you. I feel like my friend is disappearing in front of my eyes and I can't do a thing to stop it. The Troy I know would never give up basketball. Talk to me."

Troy looked at her carefully before deciding to speak. "I'm sorry if I've worried you. I-I just feel sort of empty ever since….. Chad's told you about Gab- Gabriella, I suppose?"

Emily nodded dumbly. She reached out and took his hand in hers.

"I love her. When I told my mom and dad they said I was being stupid, that I was too young to know what love is. But I _do_ know. For me, love is Gabriella. Things were going so well, you know. We were in a good place. Until she left. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm so proud of her for graduating early, really I am. And I would have been- not fine, but I would have coped. But she didn't tell me, I had to find out from her _mom_ for God's sake! And that's what's killing me. She thought- I dunno- that I wouldn't want her to go, that I was selfish enough to ant to keep her here. But all I want, all I've ever wanted, is for her to be happy. I thought we were perfect together, but now it's like we never knew each other at all. She didn't even trust me enough to- to say goodbye. She just left. And that leaves me wondering why. Why did she just go? Why- why didn't she say goodbye?"

Troy's voice broke, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as his body was racked with sobs. Emily clambered up beside him, wrapping him in her arms like a mother holding her baby, not caring in the slightest about the fact that boys aren't 'supposed to' cry. He buried his face in her hair as she tried in vain to soothe him. He kept repeating those last words over and over as though saying them again would somehow help him find an answer.

"It's alright sweetie", she whispered, stroking his poor tear-stained face. "I'm here. I'm here, and I'm gonna take care of you. You'll be fine, I promise."

She couldn't tell how long they sat there; it could have been minutes or hours. She didn't want to pull away until he was ready; she could feel the pain in his embrace and she just wanted to make him feel better. Eventually, he straightened up, dabbing ineffectually at the red rims of his eyes with his sleeve.

"Troy, am I the only one you've told about this?"

"Yeah. I was afraid Mom would want me to go to a shrink or something… And Dad, well, I only quit the team to protect him. I've been playing bad ever since she left, and it would have killed him to have to drop his own son….."

"That's typical of you, Troy Bolton, always worrying about other people's feelings before your own! But now that you can talk to me, doesn't that help? Because you need to get out of this black hole. Everybody at school is so worried, I can see that even in a single day. I'm here for you, you know that."

"I know." Troy's voice was tiny, and he sounded like he had a bad head-cold. "But I'm not ready to go back to normal. Not yet."

"That's OK. We'll start small. Like with basketball." She nudged him hopefully.

"Alright, alright. I _have_ been missing my hoops. I'll do it. Or at least I'll try. Thanks, Em." He heaved himself off the bed, then turned to help her up, smiling down at her with the piercing blue eyes which were starting to look like his own again. "Gosh, it's good to have you back."

**Author's note: Next chapter- Emily's secret talent. Reviews welcome, as always…**


	6. Chapter 6

In the Blink of an Eye

**In the Blink of an Eye**

**Chapter Six**

**Note: This chapter is for Solana1- you asked if Emily could sing, so here's your answer…..**

Now that Troy was back on the road to recovery, Emily could finally relax and begin to settle in at East High. Over the next couple of weeks she fit back into life in Albuquerque with surprising ease. She was quite tall, and toned from her surfing in California, so the volleyball team snapped her up right after her first gym class. Of course, lunch wasn't a problem; Troy and Chad had welcomed her into their group with open arms.

Emily had to admit, she could never have imagined some of these people being as nice and easy to get along with as they were. Even Sharpay, who she clearly remembered as being a spoilt and obnoxious creature, seemed sweet. Ryan, her twin, was quieter but just as entertaining. Emily could only assume that his less exuberant nature was a result of years spent in his sister's shadow.

She only had vague memories of Kelsi, the shy, bespectacled girl with the dreamy expression and pianist's fingers, but now she found her intriguing. Taylor and Chad mad an adorable couple, and she had already known Zeke, Jason and Martha, the fun-loving brainiac, before going to California. The group was easy to get along with.

One day Zeke brought muffins for everyone at lunch. Emily tried one, and it seemed to melt in her mouth. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed loudly.

"What's wrong?" Zeke asked anxiously. "Too many blueberries? I thought I might have added a shade too much…"

"_You_ made these? Zeke, they're incredible! These are the best muffins I've ever tasted!"

Zeke blushed as Jason ruffled his hair playfully. "Thanks. I can give you the recipe if you like."

Emily nodded gratefully, brushing the crumbs from her lips. "Yes please! But right now I've got to go. See you guys later." She jumped to her feet and left before anyone could say anything more.

Despite its size, East High was easy enough to navigate and Emily quickly found the room she'd been longing to visit. She opened the door quietly and peeked inside. Thankfully, the music room was empty.

The room had a mysterious air to it; the magic of the music could almost be tasted. Emily loved it. She ran her fingers along the ivory keys of the piano, the melody resounding in her ears. The acoustics in here were fantastic.

Emily wandered from instrument to instrument, fingering them fondly, with affection. Music was like an addiction to her. When she heard the notes, or better still played them herself, euphoria coursed through her veins, transporting her to a private world where nothing else mattered but the harmonies and chords flooding her mind.

Eventually she came upon a guitar nestled in the corner. Eagerly she picked it up, loving the smooth texture of the wood as she threw the strap over her shoulder. She strummed the strings, experimenting. It was tuned to perfection. She took a seat by the window and began to play.

It was a song she'd first heard over the internet. The simple yet intricate quality was mesmerising, entrancing. Of course, her voice made the song sound completely different; she sang in a sweet, lilting voice while the lead singer of the band behind the original had a gloriously husky tone. They were incomparable, but the lyrics and the music captivated Emily:

'_You touch these tired eyes of mine_

_And map my face out line by line._

_And somehow growing old feels fine._

_Listen close for I'm not smart,_

_You wrap your thoughts in works of art_

_And they're hanging on the walls of my heart…' *_

She stopped suddenly, breathing heavily. She was certain she'd heard a noise and sure enough, when she turned around Troy was frozen in the doorway, watching her intently.

"Sorry", he said, and it sounded as though he meant it. "I didn't mean to frighten you. That was really beautiful, I didn't know you played guitar. I've never heard that song before, what's it called?"

"It's called 'I'm Yours'. It's by an Irish band, The Script. I love it. Come here." Emily patted the vacant seat beside her and Troy immediately came to fill it.

"Play some more", he urged.

"Fine. Only because it's for you though", she warned, and took a deep steadying breath before beginning to pluck the chorus:

'_I may not have the softest touch,_

_I may not say the words as such_

_And though I may not look like much_

_I'm yours._

_And though my edges may be rough_

_I never feel I'm quite enough._

_It may not seem like very much,_

_But I'm yours.' *_

As soon as she finished, Troy began to clap in appreciation.

"Wow", he marvelled. "That was incredible. I wish I could play like that….."

"It just takes a little practice. Here." Emily passed him the precious instrument and went to crouch behind his stool. She put her hands over his, getting him to shadow her movements. It didn't really work, but it was fun for her and, more to the point, she could see that Troy was enjoying himself. It didn't matter that they were making complete idiots of themselves, because this was the sort of thing they'd always done as kids. It was simple fun for two best friends, that was all.

Then the bell rang, bringing lunch to a close. They sprang up as one and Troy replaced the guitar on the empty stand in the corner. They left for class together. Emily noticed that Troy was looking at her out of the corner of his eye and that his mouth was twitching into a peculiar half-smile.

"What are you thinking?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing", Troy replied, a little too quickly and innocently.

"_Troy_."

"It's just- Kelsi would really love to have a talent like yours on board for the musical….." He dodged her furious swipe, laughing openly.

"No way. Tell her I sing, and I swear I will tell everybody about how you used to believe the Tooth Fairy was an evil monster who crept into kids' bedrooms at night and stole all the teeth from their heads. I know for a fact that you didn't sleep for weeks. Remember that." Now Emily was the one laughing. "And I would have no problem telling. So keep your mouth shut."


End file.
